180 million on refugee increase

by Christie on November 2, 2018 at 10:30am

There is just too much going on at the moment, and this government slips things under the radar on a regular basis. The latest thing that almost went without comment is the increasing cost of refugees. Newstalk ZB reports: quote.

The Government will spend more than $180 million on supporting and housing an additional 500 refugees over the next five years.

This is on top of the roughly $100m a year it costs to service the current annual quota of 1000 refugees.

In September, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the Government would lift the annual refugee quota by 500 people to 1500, starting July 2020. end quote.

So in the next 5 years, bringing in refugees is going to cost the country $680 million. That is not small change, particularly when so many refugees contribute little to the country in the time that they are here. quote.

A Cabinet Paper written by Immigration Minister Iain-Lees Galloway on the proposed increase, released under the Official Information Act, said the global population of people forcibly displaced had increased by more than 50 per cent over the last 10 years, climbing to a record high of a total of 68.5 million people in 2017.

Lees-Galloway said in the paper that increasing New Zealand’s refugee quota would have other benefits for New Zealand as a whole. end quote.

I really cannot see what those benefits might be. As far as I am concerned, it is a waste of taxpayer’s money. If we need an extra 500 people brought in every year, then let’s bring people who can speak the language, respect our culture and have useful skills. Some of the refugees brought here never actually learn to speak English. quote.

The paper reveals the full cost of the increase of the annual quota as $182.5m over five years.

This number included the capital costs of building work required at the Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre, as well as the operating costs for further initiatives to meet housing requirements for the additional refugees.

The bulk of the $182m was earmarked for 2020 onwards. Roughly $31m was allocated to the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years.

That figure jumps to roughly $34m in 2022/23 and 2023/24. Just over $35m was allocated for 2024/25 and the “outyears”.

Included in this funding is $32m, allocated over three years, for housing. end quote.

The good news is that, if they are voted out in 2020, then this issue can be revisited. The bad news is that we are providing $32 million for housing for refugees when we can’t house our own people. This is just shameful. quote.

This year’s Budget allocated $6.2m of new operating funding over the next four years, and $7.7m of new capital to build and operate two new accommodation blocks at the Centre.

Lees-Galloway estimated a further 149 public housing places a year would be required to house the new refugees. end quote.

We have over 6000 people currently on state housing waiting lists. Why are they not more important than people from elsewhere? quote.

On Monday, an Immigration NZ Spokeswoman told the Herald the Government “is committed to ensuring the successful resettlement of all refugees that come to New Zealand”.

“The strategy focuses on employment, participation in the community, education, health and housing which are all recognised as supporting successful settlement outcomes.”

She said refugees make a positive contribution to New Zealand and bring a range of skills and experiences to our already diverse communities. end quote.

Why do these people always claim that diversity is a good thing? Diversity in Europe is destroying their history and culture. Diversity in Europe is resulting in record numbers of sexual assaults, and grooming of children. Diversity in Europe means you can’t walk down the street without being at risk of being hit by a vehicle slamming into pedestrians.

If that is what they mean by ‘diversity’, then they can keep it. We don’t want any of that behaviour here. Send them somewhere else. I want my culture back.

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